{"id":4909,"date":"2014-11-30T22:04:44","date_gmt":"2014-12-01T02:04:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=4909"},"modified":"2014-12-22T15:55:18","modified_gmt":"2014-12-22T19:55:18","slug":"keeping-your-spiritual-blades-sharp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=4909","title":{"rendered":"Pastor’s Ponderings: Keeping Your Spiritual Blades Sharp"},"content":{"rendered":"
The following devotion was submitted by Pastor Jim on November 28, 2014…\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/address>\n

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Greetings Friends:<\/p>\n

PLEASE READ: Ecclesiastes 10:10
\n“If the ax is not sharp and he does not make it sharp, then he must use more strength. Wisdom helps one to do well” (NLV).<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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The past couple of days I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic and for some reason I recalled cutting the grass when I was a boy. Back then we did not have a motorized lawn mower. Dad used to have one of those manual lawn mowers which needed to be pushed by hand. Some of you reading this may remember those “antiques.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Quite frankly, cutting the small patch of grass we called a back yard in Delanco was not a big deal IF I did what Dad had instructed. You see, he told me repeatedly that the key was keeping the blades sharp. He even gave me the files and showed me how to sharpen the blades. <\/span><\/p>\n

I learned very quickly that if I let the blades become dull, I had to work harder, perspire more, and risk becoming frustrated about how difficult the job was. Yet, when I listened to my fathers instructions, used the tools he had given me, the work was enjoyable, and the results satisfying.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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\"rusty-lawnmower-351354_640\"<\/a>I see a valuable spiritual lesson in that real story from my life. We must keep our spiritual blades sharp at all times. Using dull spiritual blades individually and corporately leads to frustration, increased difficulty, robs us of the joy of serving, and will not produce fruit for the Kingdom of God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our gracious God has given us the tools to keep our spiritual “blades” sharp. <\/span><\/p>\n